Unmukt's case sets a precedence

Unmukt Chand's battle against St. Stephen's College has finally drawn to a close, with Delhi University's vice chancellor - Dinesh Singh - on Friday, allowing Chand to proceed to the second year while also allowing him to clear his backlogs of the first two semesters. HT reports.

Unmukt Chand's battle against St. Stephen's College has finally drawn to a close, with Delhi University's vice chancellor - Dinesh Singh - on Friday, allowing Chand to proceed to the second year while also allowing him to clear his backlogs of the first two semesters.

Singh intervened after a letter from the sports minister, Ajay Maken, insisted that Chand's detention went against "the very spirit of encouraging sports and fitness among the young people." The University has also asked the college for the requisite papers so as to expedite Chand's case.

"We have asked the St. Stephen's principal to send us the required papers so that we can assist Unmukt. His outstanding achievement has been recognised by the University and we are allowing him to move to the second year," said Dinesh Singh.

Yet, it is Unmukt Chand's case, which has now set a precedence for several other sports-quota students who had been looking for a route to stike a balance between sports and academics.

For such students, the University will now look at an overhaul under the Meta-College structure to provide more weightage to sports.

"Under the four year programme of study, a significant part of the course will also accrue credit for the sport that the student plays. For example, for a student of Maths (hons) who is also a soccer player, we will waive a course for different levels of representation - if he plays at the college level, state level or national level. We will have to work out the structural modalities and look at how much wightage to assign," Singh added.